JERUSALEM

Israel has been covertly supporting armed militias operating in the Gaza Strip with money, weapons and field protection in an attempt to counter Hamas, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday, while expressing skepticism over the strategy’s impact.

The newspaper said foreign reports indicate that Israel has supplied the militias with rifles and ammunition, alongside logistical assistance such as fuel, food, vehicles and other supplies.

According to the report, the backing has enabled the militias to operate within areas close to Israeli troop deployments, allowing them to entrench themselves near Israeli-controlled zones inside the enclave. The cost of the support is estimated at tens of millions of shekels, funded from the Israeli army’s budget.

The militias reportedly operate in areas under Israeli military presence, as Israel continues to control more than 53% of Gaza’s territory under the Oct. 10 ceasefire agreement.

Yedioth Ahronoth said the groups function outside formal command structures and beyond the direct oversight of the Israeli army or the Shin Bet security agency, and are deployed for narrowly defined tactical roles.

These roles include searching for Hamas fighters in tunnels or among rubble near Israeli positions, as well as carrying out detentions intended to reduce risks to Israeli soldiers, the report said.

The newspaper noted that the militia led by Yasser Abu Shabab, before his killing, was the only group that operated with such public visibility, releasing videos aimed at signaling confidence and defiance toward Hamas.

Israeli criticism

The report said the policy has drawn criticism within Israel, with assessments that the militias lack the organizational capacity or popular legitimacy needed to pose a genuine challenge to Hamas or its armed wing.

As a result, analysts cited by the newspaper said it is unlikely these groups could replace Hamas, which they say has been restoring its influence and tightening control during the ceasefire period.

“In the absence of a centralized leadership or coherent structure, evaluations indicate the militias’ chances of displacing Hamas remain limited,” the report said.

The newspaper also drew comparisons to Israel’s past reliance on allied militias in Lebanon during the 1980s, noting that the legacy of the Sabra and Shatila massacre continues to shape public and international perceptions.

It recalled that militias backed by Israel carried out mass killings of Palestinians during the first Lebanon war, triggering widespread international condemnation and accusations against Israel and its military.

The Sabra and Shatila massacre occurred on Sept. 16, 1982, when Lebanese militias supported by Israeli forces entered the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps in west Beirut following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.

Over three days, between 2,000 and 3,500 civilians, mostly Palestinians, including women, children and the elderly, were killed.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref